Martin Fröst – Roots

In a galaxy far far away… is Martin Fröst new album, Roots. His quest to “create new programmes which move beyond traditional concert formats” lead him to the roots of classical music, and to his own roots, too. Mission accomplished. Brilliantly.

It’s like you were visiting sort of a museum, with alive, animated artworks. You are going from a room to the next, with no apparent connection between them. But in the end, you’ve made a great journey through almost 2000 years of music. Religious music, for sacred rituals and praise. Dance and folk music. Music as pure entertainment.

Excepted the Crusell Theme and Variations, all pieces have been modified somehow. It could have been a transcription, a variation, a rewriting. It’s like the whole album was a kind of improvisation, nourished by former improvisations, which is the way music evolves, actually.

Here is a very interesting video with Martin Fröst talking about “Roots”:

But you certainly want music to listen to, so here is the video of an impressive klezmer dance:

Roots is a beautiful recording that explores “how, from these roots, we can open up a new musical door into the future.”